• Food & Wine,  Lifestyle,  Local Events

    Wine Tasting in Carmel Valley, California!

    July 23, 2019 /

    Napa and Sonoma may be the first names you think of when wine tasting is mentioned.  Yet, Carmel Valley, southeast of Monterey and Pebble Beach, may be the area’s best kept secret, as it is home to dozens of amazing wineries.  Surrounded by the picturesque Santa Lucia Mountains and just inland from beautiful Monterey Bay, it features a climate of warm days and cool nights just right to produce some pretty outstanding wines, including Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Chardonnay.  I am fortunate to live just over the hill from Carmel Valley Village.  Here is my list of the best wine tasting venues in Carmel Valley. All of the wineries I have listed are located within walking distance from each other, with the exception of Folktale.

     1.  Folktale Winery.  Originally, this estate was called Chateau Julien Wine Estate, but in 2015 it became Folktale Winery.  While it is more than a stone’s throw west of the quaint Carmel Valley Village, Folktale Winery is not to be missed.  You can visit their fairy tale castle and also listen to fabulous bands while sipping on wine in their rustic barrel room.  There are awesome food and wine pairings at their events as well.  Some of the performers I have seen here include Anderson East, Chris Cab, and Iyla.  Can I say more?

    2.  Cowgirl Winery.  Want to sip wine in the midst of clucking free range chickens and a cute vintage pick up truck?  Would you like to belly up to a bar with rustic cowboy boots lined up above it?   This place has so much character I dedicated an entire blog post to it, see: Cowgirl.

    3.  Talbott Vineyards Tasting Room.  

    You will love Talbott’s not only for their wine but also their spacious and elegant ambiance.  They are located just south of Cowgirl Winery.

    4.  Georis Winery, located across from the Corkscrew Cafe, showcases exquisite mosaic artwork at their entryway, and is surrounded by beautiful floral landscaping and both indoor and outdoor tables. They often feature live music on the weekends as   well.

    My friend Lauryn and I enjoying the beautiful artwork and yummy wine at Big Sur Tasting Room.

    5.  Big Sur Vineyards.  I first visited this a few years back with my buddy Lauryn, and I have never forgotten.  What I love most is not only the wine, but the exquisite hand-painted labels featuring iconic Big Sur images.

    6.   Testarossa Winery,  & 7.  Joyce Wine Company.  Joyce and Testarossa are connected by a series of rooms.

     

    Bernardus features an expansive and comfy outdoor seating area where you can enjoy delicious charcuterie platters with your wine.

    8.  Bernardus Winery.   This winery was started by Ben Pon, who was a race car driver for Porsche for many years as well as a participant in the Olympics in 1972 in skeet shooting.  The crest on the Bernardus wine label represents Mr. Pon’s Dutch Heritage.  This has an intimate indoor tasting room as well as a more expansive patio with comfy seating.

    9.  Boekenoogen Vineyards and Winery.  This tiny tasting room is packed with pizazz.  Many folks are keeno for their pinot.

    10.  Joulian looks like a petite French Chateau, showcasing beautiful decor in addition to their award winning wine.

    11.  Cima Collina.  Like Cowgirl, Cima Collina has a super cute old truck, this one complete with wine barrels.

    Helpful Tips:

    • Most flights cost around 15.00-20.00 and involve 4-6 tastes.
    • During the summer and early fall months Carmel Valley can get warm; dress accordingly.
    • Parking can be challenging to find, I recommend getting there before 2 pm when most of the wine tasting begins.  Most tasting rooms are open between 12 and 5:30 pm.
    • If you don’t want to deal with parking, a Wine Trolley is available from Monterey, or you can hop on  Tractor Pete’s rustic wagon to visit local wine tasting rooms.
    • Most of the wine tasting rooms are dog friendly.
    • There are several notable restaurants and cafes interspersed between the wine tasting rooms, including the Corkscrew Cafe, Roux, Cafe Rustica, and Holman Ranch Tavern.
    • If you have time left for shopping, there are some cute shops in the area. I highly recommend Quail & Olive, just north of Georis. It features delicious olive oils, vinegars, kitchen items and lovely gifts.

    Thank you for visiting my blog.  Wishing you peace, love, happiness, and beautiful vistas!

     

     

  • Food,  Local Events,  Travel

    River Road Wine Trail in Monterey County

    February 10, 2019 /

    Nestled in the highlands of the Santa Lucia Mountain Range in Monterey County, the River Road Wine Trail snakes its way from Salinas to Greenfield, California.  The River Road Wine Trail is billed as “one of the Central Coast’s premiere wine touring destinations”.   I have to say that is absolutely true.  The climate in the Santa Lucia Highlands is perfect for creating very unique and highly sought after wines including pinot noir, chardonnay, pino gris, and syrah, among others.  Furthermore, River Road wineries are passionate about what they do.  Many are family-owned businesses going back for generations.  There is pride and respect for what they do, and it shows not only in the quality of their wine, but also in the way they treat their customers.  Tasting room staff are professional, friendly, and willing to discuss any questions you may have.  Wine tasting here is the ultimate, authentic experience.

    Each year, wineries along the River Road Wine Trail in Monterey County celebrate Valentine’s Day by hosting a special event.  This event features some of the finest wines in Monterey County, along with food pairings, music, and fun.

    I think this sign is my favorite, can you tell why?

    This year, Odonata, Pessagno Winery, Manzoni Estate Vineyard, Puma Road Winery, Hahn Family Wines, Smith Family Wines, Scheid Vineyards, Chalone Vineyard, and Michaud Vineyard participated in the event.  What I love about this event is that not only do you get to sample a huge variety of wines, you get to see the actual vineyards and wineries where they are created and meet the makers.  How cool is that?

    Scheid Vineyards had a very relaxed atmosphere, with amiable and helpful staff.

    My first stop was Scheid Vineyards.  Michaud Vineyard was also here for the event.  I loved all the visitor-friendly outdoor seating!

    Wine tasters partake in a game of Jenga at Scheid Vineyards.

    After leaving Scheid I headed for Smith Family Wines.  My GPS was going wonky and telling me to turn on dirt roads leading to abandoned muddy fields, but I persisted, and eventually arrived at my destination.

    The tasting room at Smith Family Wines was warm and elegant.

    Smith Family Wineries represents three generations of hard-working vintners.  Their three award-winning brands are Alexander-Smith, Paraiso, and Irie.

    Smith Family Wines offered a beautiful setting for visitors.

    Next, I headed north to Hahn Family Wines.  Chalone Vineyards was also set up here.  It seemed like it took forever to navigate the narrow road flanked by fir trees back to the winery, but finally, I arrived!

    The deck at Hahn’s tasting room offers gorgeous vistas.

    Heading north from Hahn, in another 7.3 miles, I reached Puma Road Winery.  On the way, I passed rustic farm buildings and witnessed a huge rainbow arching over the Salinas Valley.  While there were a few occasional patchy sprinkles, the day remained, overall, quite beautiful.

    The staff at Puma were super friendly!

    A hop, skip and jump north of Puma Road is Manzoni Estate Vineyard.  The estate is comprised of a mere six acres (that’s only twice as big as my farm!) but the wines they produce are exceptional.  The Manzoni family has called this area home for nearly 100 years.

    The Manzoni Estate Vineyard tasting room was intimate and inviting.
    The Swiss fare served at the Manzoni Estate Vineyard brought back memories of my days living in the Swiss area of Wisconsin.  Indeed, my three sons are half Swiss!

    Following my visit at Manzoni, I headed just over a mile north to Pessagno Winery.  This, in my humble opinion, is the coziest tasting room ever.  I think it might be the combination of the warmth exuding from the wood burning stove, the cute cat curled up on a chair, the beautiful stained glass window, and the long, roomy wooden bar.  Pessagno Winery just exudes ambiance and comfort.

    The final stop on my wine tasting venture was Odonata Wines.  Did you know that Odanata is another word for dragonfly?  Odonata states that variety and quality are their watchwords and that the batches of wine they produce are made from grapes that are organic and grown sustainably.  I’ll raise my glass to that!

    I had so much fun today and I can’t wait to repeat the experience next year!  I hope that you get a chance to check out the River Road Wine Trail and enjoy it as much as I did.  Remember, you don’t have to wait until the Valentine’s Passport event to visit, most of the wineries here are open year round.  For more information on any of the wineries listed, or for information on the annual Valentine’s wine tasting event, see Wine Trail.

    Helpful Hints for attending the Valentine’s Passport event:

    • Arrive as early as possible as parking and crowds increase the later you start.
    • Be aware that the wine service ends at 4 pm.
    • Designated drivers who will not be imbibing get a discount: tickets are half price!
    • Parking areas fill up quickly and you may end up walking quite a distance; choose footwear accordingly.
    • Bring a warm sweater or coat as it can be chilly this time of year.
    • Many transportation options are available if you don’t have a designated driver, including the Monterey Party Bus, limos, and of course, Uber.
    • All wineries provide vegetarian as well as non-vegetarian food pairings.

    Thank you for visiting my blog.  Wishing you peace, love, happiness, and happy wine tasting!

     

  • Local Events,  Travel

    Wet Your Whistle at Cowgirl Winery in Carmel Valley

    December 29, 2018 /
    If you love wine, you need look no further than Monterey County. I am blessed to live just over the hill from Carmel Valley, one of the best wine tasting areas in California. Nestled in a valley bordered by the Santa Lucia Mountains, Carmel Valley is picturesque  Old Western California at its best.  While some of the area wine tasting rooms can be a bit upscale and fussy, Cowgirl Winery’s tasting room, housed in an old redwood barn, is authentically rustic and down-to-earth,  conjuring images of cowboys and cowgirls, cattle, horses, saloons, & spirits.  With country western music filling the air and plenty of activities on site, you will be rustling up some fun in no time.
     
    The delicious wines here include Cabernet Sauvignon, Cowgirl Red, Malbec, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Albarino, Blush Rose,  & Picpoul.   Once you have the Cowgirl Winery bug you will be tempted to return with your family and friends again and again.  It’s a fun place to enjoy flights (or single glasses) of wine while enjoying all the sights and sounds, including the super cute old truck parked outside.  Cowgirl Winery also offers a “Boots for Booze” exchange: donate a pair of cowboy boots and receive a free bottle of wine.  How divine!
    There are plenty of fun activities to keep you busy outside while you enjoy your wine.  You can play cornhole, practice your cattle roping skills, or mosey on over to the bocce ball court.
    They also have plenty of gifts and goodies including handmade jewelry, clothing, books, mugs, and other cute items.
     
    One of my favorite things about Cowgirl Winery is seeing the cute chickens meandering through their courtyard.  Want to feed them?  You can purchase chicken feed for a nominal amount.  Nothing is more rewarding than watching a fuzzy butt chicken waddle to you as fast as possible on her little legs to get a treat.
    FYI:  Anyone caught chicken rustling will be hauled in a paddy wagon to the local jail where they will be forced to stomp enough grapes to fill every wine barrel in the county.  Well, maybe not quite that many.  Who can say?
    Cowgirl Winery was started in 2012 by Walter and Sylvia Georis, who own nearby Georis Winery.  They wanted to celebrate the unique ranch culture of Carmel Valley and pay tribute “to the women who ran ranches, rode horses,  and tended to the herd – but most importantly raised families and built communities”.  I think you will agree that they have done a fine job.
    There is no better place to wet your whistle so stampede on over to Cowgirl Winery and wrangle yourself up a drink.  And remember, don’t squat with your spurs on and never kick a cow chip on a hot day.
    Where: 25 Pilot Road, Carmel Valley, CA 93924
    Phone: 831-298-7030
    Hours: 11:30 am -4:00 pm Sunday through Thursday and 11:30 am -6 pm Friday & Saturday
    Website: Cowgirl Winery
    Helpful Tips:
    • Dogs on leashes are allowed.
    • Well supervised children are allowed.
    • Food is available for purchase, including artisan cheese boards and wood oven pizza from nearby Corkscrew Cafe.
    • No outside food or wine may be brought to the premises.
    • No smoking is allowed.
    • Reservations may be made by phone.

    Thank you for visiting my blog!  Wishing you peace, love, happiness, and beautiful vistas!